Better Bread

I tend to be very sensitive to smells in my life like chemicals, pachouli essential oil, and believe it or not bread.

When the scent of thin, yeast infested, nutrient deficient bread hits my nostrils I literally want to gag. If you don't know what I am talking about buy any conventional low quality fluffy bread, toast it, and smell it-yuck!

In general bread gets a bad wrap in our culture and its partly due to the fact that people haven't been educated and/or haven't tasted the delectable nature of breads made with the ancient wisdom of sourdough culture instead of fast rising industrial age yeast.

What you probably already know is when buying bread tick to whole grain varieties to ensure you don't create a blood sugar spike. Awesome and important first step.

Bread has a rich and wonderful history from many centuries past.

Its journey began when cereal grains were crushed and mixed with water to create a paste. The paste was cooked over a fire to create a 'flat bread' and then consumed.

In Egypt around 2600 BCE, the discovery of fermentation took place. First through the brewing of beverages like beer and later through leavening bread.

The bakers of the time discovered that if they kept a scoop of fermented grains they could use it as a 'starter' for there next batch of bread.

What these ancient people did not know is that their discovery of 'sourdough' had many nutritional benefits including increased nutrient assimilation and ease of grain digestion.

As we fast forward in history to modern times, traditional bread goes through a makeover. Yeast is introduced as the new agent to make bread rise. Why?

Fermentation is more regular

More rapid

Bread rises better

But whats the flip side?

The fermentation becomes mainly an alcoholic fermentation The bread is less digestible

Less tasty

Spoils more easily

The majority of breads we get in stores and sandwich shops are of this kind. As usual speed is valued more then quality which carries a host of problems.

Most grains have in them a substance called phytic acid which is not digestible to humans or non-ruminant animals.

Moreover, by consuming phytic acid it is harder for the body to absorb zinc, iron, calcium, and magnesium.

Grains are also considered to be an acid food which makes the body work harder to achieve a state of homeostasis or balance. This is why soaking rains before you cook them or consuming sourdough-leavened bread is ideal.

Sourdough culture is super acidic to begin with but when combined with grains it actually neutralizes their enzyme inhibiting and phyitic acid qualities. This results in more alkalinity, easier digestion, more nutrients and a real hearty bread that promotes warmth and joy without the guilt.

Sourdough leavened bread is slowly making a comeback but it is vital to ask questions and be a conscious consumer. Most 'sourdough' breads are made with white flours and conventional yeast even though they are called sourdough.It is vital to understand that any grain turned into bread be it whole wheat, spelt, or millet bread can be made using sourdough culture, it is not limited to the white bread most are familiar with.

Ask around at Whole Foods, your local Coop, and local bakery shops for yeast free sourdough leavened bread.